We would like to deeply thank Biznews Asia Magazine for their recent 5-page spread feature on our gemological laboratory. In light of the ever-growing jewelry and gemstone trade, our team assists with the scientific identification and grading of diamonds and gemstones for collectors, jewelry brands and online retailers alike.




At the current time (for 2019), note that our laboratory has shifted focus to the examination of fully-cut, transparent gemstones, diamonds and jewelry only. We are not evaluating raw, rough or partially-cut gemstones for this year. In accordance with this direction, we now maintain many advanced instruments catering to the study and evaluation of fully faceted gemstone materials, including diamond, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, kunzite, peridot, alexandrite and many more species and varieties.

Our current scope of interest, is the polished / faceted diamond industry. Our gemological team members have undergone specific training and educational progress at the Gemological Institute of America in order to properly support the Philippine jewelry trade.




With the growing popularity of lab-grown or man-made stones becoming an issue for many jewelry buyers, we provide our own professional services to help them obtain more detailed information about their precious gemstones. We ourselves do not grow diamonds, we only perform the necessary tests to check and separate potentially lab-grown stones from a majority of natural counterparts. We also do not engage in the buying or selling of gemstones, in order to maintain no vested interest towards any gemstone examined at our laboratory.

We carefully examine fully finished-cut diamonds, whether these are mounted or loose- using highly-advanced testing instruments such as photoluminescence-based spectrometers, and gemological equipment such as gem refractometers, spectroscopes and many others.

In every part of the world, you'll notice a specific trend that governs the tastes of people who see themselves as serious jewelry collectors. Many nationalities differ in their own preference of what gemstone provides the most satisfaction in a wholesome sense- appeal, investment, cultural significance. Filipinos undoubtedly have ties to two of the gem world's front runners in the trade, pearls and diamonds.

Pearls have been revered by Philippine culture for decades, due to the archipelago's deep-rooted connection to the Palawan and South China seas. The golden south sea pearl (Pinctada maxima) is one of our country's premier luxury exports, and is indeed one of the world's most beloved gems.



The majority however, would primarily choose to purchase diamonds over any other precious or semi-precious gemstone. The culture of giving diamonds as gifts, not only during engagement ceremonies and weddings, but also during many other family-oriented occasions, is quite prevalent among much of the population today, especially in the bigger cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao.

Filipinos have a penchant for selecting investment grade diamonds, possibly stemming from international influences that have westernized our tastes in jewelry. Diamonds after all, are the world's most widely marketed fine-gemstone, and account for more than 76% of the international gem-trade's business activity.

If you take a look at other countries, you'll find that each has its own specific gem of choice among their societies. China has a great admiration for jade, which can come from either the jadeite or nephrite species. Colombia puts importance on Emerald, as the Muzo and Chivor areas remain to be some of the planet's best sources for the finest green gems.



Our history of being a modern, partially westernized country in Asia, promotes a population where choices tend to agree with global preferences and selections. Most of the younger generation follow the habits of their predecessors, and today's millennial population also believes in the symbol of commitment and eternity that diamonds convey. We are indeed, romantics at heart, and a stone that can travel through centuries unfazed, would genuinely appeal to that part of us.

After diamonds, pearls are the most widely purchased gem in the country, followed by a three-way tie between ruby, sapphire and emerald. These fine varieties are directly above popular more affordable stones like amethyst and citrine.

What are the most preferred carat sizes for people here in the city? Well, since we've asked around about color, shape and clarity preferences, it would only be right to complete the survey with asking Filipinos how big they want their diamonds to be.




Naturally, we had some light-hearted joking that followed this question, such as replies like "as big as a golf ball!" or "like a closed fist". Obviously people do appreciate carat sizes here in the Philippines, as visual presence is one of the things people look for in a diamond purchase.



Although joviality aside, there was a balance to the ratio of price versus carat size. Our population seemed to be split into three groups when it came to their most favored selections. Some preferred sizes of a third to one half carat, but wanted several stones in a single jewelry piece to make its appearance appear bigger and brighter. These "illusion" style arrangements are quite popular here in our country at the moment.

Other interviewees told us that they would only buy stones that weighed 1 carat or more, but maxed out the range at 2.5 carats. These sizes were fast-moving, and still held considerable value as hard asset investments. It's quite practical to consider both of these selections actually.




The last grouping wanted stones that ranged from 2.5 or 3 carats to 5 carats. This group was smaller in quantity, but represented those who took diamond-buying to the next level. Large stones in this range were still moveable in the trade, of course, but here in the Philippines they might not be as fast-moving as smaller stones due to relatively higher prices. These gems are serious investments and can fetch up to millions of pesos (in the correct color and clarity grade levels).

Most buyers in the Philippines seem to prefer stone sizes that are either "small" (0.50 ct. or lower), but could be made to look bigger through specific jewelry setting designs, or "solitaire" carat sizes (1 ct. , 2 ct. or 5 ct.) that hold more substantial investment value, but are considered as fast-moving assets due to high demand on the market.

Diamonds with larger carat sizes are rarely seen, even here at the laboratory. Stones of 10 or 15 carat sizes could cost as much as a small house, or several condominium units. Most filipinos would rather diversify their purchases if granted this much flexible spending power. Still though, to possess diamonds of this size is rare, and can be a powerful status symbol in the highest societies of the country.



One thing we observed accidentally though, is that a lot of Filipinos tend to assume that larger stones are automatically imitations. The mentality of "it's too good to be true" kicks in, and the dismissive assumption fills their minds quite quickly.

Carat size is one of the 4C's of diamond quality, and we'll be teaching more about it soon, when we reveal the schedule for our upcoming gemstone identification and diamond grading workshops.

Diamonds are being faked everyday, so Gemcamp wants the public to gain awareness on a few easy-to-read flags that could raise your alert on the topic of whether or not a diamond should be tested for being fake.

Even if you aren't a gemologist, it's still possible to employ some smart tips and buying tactics when looking to purchase a new diamond. You can also use these bits of information to check your own personal collection for any doubtful signs that your stone might actually be an imitation and needs to be evaluated and authenticated by a gemologist. Be aware that these signs are only indicators or observations that are not often seen in natural diamonds. While their presence is still possible in a very small population of genuine stones, it is very unlikely.

If Your Diamond Shows Too Much Fire or Dispersion During Rocking and Tilting

While diamond is known for having strong "fire", which is basically the spectral color flashes you see when you rock and tilt the stone, two very famous imitations actually possess a higher dispersion rate. Cubic Zirconia and Moissanite both disperse white light into beautiful spectral colors as well, and they do it to a higher degree when compared to diamonds. Moissanite displays 2.4 times more "fire" than diamond, which can become visually evident, but might also be overlooked by the inexperienced buyer.

A Rough or Polished Diamond that Possesses Multiple "Scalloped" or "Curving" Fractures in Several Different Directions

Most gemstones when fractured, will show a scalloped, shell-like texture that gemologists refer to as a "conchoidal fracture", now while this can still also appear in diamonds, it really depends on the direction of the breakage. Diamond is one of the few gemstones that possesses several planes of cleavage, or atomic weakness. This makes them slightly more prone to breaking in a "step-like" fashion. Stones that do show a signs of fracturing or breakage should depict cleavage signs, at least in certain directions, instead of having several conchoidal fractures like glass, or CZ.

There Seems to Be Significant Signs of Abrasion and Scraching on the Surface Diamond (Especially During Post-Purchase Years)

As the hardest natural mineral in the world, cut diamonds should be very resistant to abrasions and surface blemishes caused by wear-and-tear. It is still possible for them to be scratched, chipped or bruised, but much less likely compared to fakes. Keep an eye out for high amounts of abrasion near the facet junctions, which can look like multitudes of sugary or grainy scratches that populate the edges of an already-polished stone.

The Stone Appears Slightly "Watered Down", Or Too See-Through When You Look at It With the Naked Eye

Diamond's high refractive index, combined with its hardness factor should allow for an optimum amount of light reflection when properly cut. Light should enter the stone, bounce around within its interior facets, and return to your eye. Many imitations, like colorless quartz, glass and even some cubic zirconia, will have brilliance that appears to muddled or watered down. This is because they possess different properties, which affect the way light travels through their material. When cut with the ideal proportions of diamond, these imitations may not present the same grade of brilliance (light reflection) that a diamond would show, and therefore look too see-through. Be careful though, some diamonds that are cut too shallow, will also appear this way, because of an effect called "windowing", where angles are proportioned inadequately and light leakage occurs.

These signs are not certainties, they are only indicators that you may want to have your diamond checked with a gemologist to make sure that it's actually a diamond. With all the rampant fraudulent business in the jewelry trade these days, many sellers too quickly give in to the temptation of vending a 10 dollar cubic zirconia as a 10,000 dollar diamond to novice buyers who don't yet know how to tell the difference. It is our mission here at Gemcamp to help Filipino diamond buyers make the best use of their funds and prevent themselves from being tricked into buying fakes and imitations.